DOE and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Sign Memorandum of Collaboration for Safe Offshore Energy Development

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WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) signed a Memorandum of Collaboration this week that will coordinate the ongoing efforts of the two agencies on offshore research and technological improvement projects. Through this collaboration, BSEE and DOE will continue to work together to ensure safe, sustainable offshore production of oil and natural gas.

“This Memorandum of Collaboration formalizes the interaction between our two agencies, and will help ensure that research and development executed by the Department of Energy is directly relevant to BSEE’s regulatory challenges.” said DOE Assistant Secretary Christopher Smith. “This is research that makes offshore oil and gas operations safer and environmentally sustainable while promoting our Nation’s energy security.”

“This Memorandum of Collaboration will ensure that the ongoing activities of our two agencies will continue to be appropriately coordinated,” said BSEE Director James Watson. “We will continue to prevent duplication and increase the effectiveness of our ability to create a regulatory environment that fosters the safe and responsible development of the Nation’s energy resources.”

The lead office within DOE that will work with BSEE is the Office of Fossil Energy, which supports research and development to ensure the Nation can continue to rely on clean, affordable energy from traditional fuel sources.

The agencies will continue to collaborate in support of three primary objectives: building safety through technological improvements; supporting research and development for offshore operations; and working together to support the implementation of recommendations arising from various investigations and studies related to the Deepwater Horizon tragedy.

BSEE and the Office of Fossil Energy will engage in quarterly meetings to share near-term goals and track key milestones. Each year, the two agencies will prepare a joint progress report summarizing ongoing collaboration.